Sidious Revealed
by swan-swan
Summary: Darth Sidious's perspective from as he awaits the Jedi to his triumph. Please review.
1. Chapter 1: Reflection

Prologue: Reflections

The building was a piece of the city. The city was a piece of the planet. The planet was a piece of the sector. The sector was a piece of his galaxy.

But within the building…there was another piece. A man. One man.

The man was a piece of the council. The Council was a piece of the Order. The Order was a piece of his Force.

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine smiled. His Force. Indeed, it was his Force. He had mastered it…he controlled it…he knew its secrets.

And because he ruled the Force, he ruled the man.

He was his already. He felt it.

But the man—the Jedi—had exposed him. Revealed him for what he truly was.

Or so he thought.

He had only revealed his name…his title. Given him but a taste of his power…not even that, actually. Only a mention, a description. Nothing more.

Ordinarily, Palpatine would have smiled at the thought; but the fact that he would be soon revealing the fullness of his power…that gave him pause.

He studied the window, noting the reflection upon it. A man, old but not wizened, trimmed but not frail, calm but not peaceful. He saw the hands, almost spidery, wrap around the arms of the chair; saw the body, robed in black and gold, lean back pensively. And the eyes. Calm and brown…but within, a flicker of yellow. A flash of fire.

A sigh escaped him as he looked past the reflection. This was his city; a piece of his galaxy. He had worked so hard, his entire life…and it was his now. All that was left was to remove those who would deny him his right.

He studied the sky, filled once more with different craft, full of beings moving about as though the destruction had not happened…but there, all over the cityscape, the wreckage of buildings. Signs of those who had died, fallen…the cold metal wreckage was all that remained as a sign of the suffering and death that had taken place. They would be clearing it for months, this work.

Palpatine smiled and settled himself, shutting his eyes. It was his work. And it was good.

But now he turned his eyes inward…to the real work that he had done…and he remembered.

Darth Maul. No other name. He had been trained from birth after the death of Plagueis…he had been strong, fiery, almost the perfect killer. But he had been flawed…overcome by a Jedi. Over two decades of work had been lost…

But fortune had come to him.

Darth Tyranus. Once Count Dooku, a noble Jedi, one of the strongest…but he had left, disgusted at the Jedi. He had not been easy to turn, but the promise of power, reformation, and life had been enough to sway him. And so, with his help, the Clone Wars had begun.

But Tyrannus was too experienced, too cunning for his own good. And there was one more powerful than he—one who was now almost within the grasp of the Sith. One who would make two once more—for he had struck down Lord Tyrannus, beheaded him at the feet of…

Darth Sidious.

The most powerful Dark Lord of the Sith since the Darth Order had begun. Perhaps the greatest in the history of the Sith. He was the one who had been placed into the Republic…who had gained the position sought for so long. He had taken the Dark Side—which served him, as opposed to him being its servant—and he had twisted it to his own. So it was.

"And so it will be," Darth Sidious hissed, not opening his eyes.

But there was no more time for meditation…he had to prepare. He placed himself within the shroud of the Sith, playing his threads out to wherever they extended…and his last thought before he hid himself was a message sent to the one who would serve him…

You do know, don't you, if the Jedi destroy me, any chance of saving her will be lost.

Darth Sidious smiled and gave himself to the Dark Side.


	2. Chapter 2: Revelation

Part Two: Revelation

The Dark Side stirred. They were near.

Palpatine returned to his usual state of mind, placing the shroud of the Dark Side around him, but not releasing his power. Everything was calm on the outside—nothing out of the ordinary.

Within him, the Dark Side burned, waiting to be unleashed.

The door hissed open, and Palpatine took in a breath. This was it. The time had come.

He turned his chair slowly to face the doorway.

Four Jedi stood there. On the left; Master Saesee Tin, his horn healed and regrown. Beside him, Agen Kolar. On the far right; Kit Fisto, hero of Geonosis and a legendary fighter.

But the one that drew him the most was the tall, dark man in the center.

Master Mace Windu, most powerful of all of the Jedi.

"Ah," Palpatine said, smiling welcomingly. "Master Windu. I take it General Grievous has been destroyed then."

He looked at the man's face; it was hard, like a durasteel carving. So there was no guesswork. The boy had indeed told them. And been left behind; how much did the Master know?

"I must say, you're here sooner than I expected."

The line was a last test, but clearly, the Jedi did not believe a word of it.

"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic," Mace Windu said loudly, his lightsaber coming into his right hand. A moment later, the blade hissed into life.

"You are under arrest, Chancellor."

His blade hummed menacingly, violet and menacing. Two beams of green and a single flame of blue appeared around him.

They were not taking chances.

Anger filled Palpatine at this declaration—who were _they_ to speak in the name of the Senate?

"Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" Palpatine growled through clenched teeth.

"The Senate will decide your fate," Windu replied, not moving.

Again, the reference to the Senate. Anger filled Palpatine, so that he almost lost control…but he released it in a swift retort.

"I _am_ the Senate!" he spat.

"Not yet!"

So calm, yet so hard. It filled Palpatine with anger…but also set in another emotion.

Fear?

Palpatine stood, forcing the fear down, letting the hate flow through him. His hatred at the man before him, talking so brazenly, so confidently. Hatred at the other three, for witnessing this confrontation between the ruler of the Sith and the leader of the Jedi. Hatred at all of the Jedi for what they had done to the Sith.

The Dark Side whispered for a moment, brushing against his arm…

And in that brush, sending Bane into his hand.

"It's treason, then."

Three words. The challenge, the declaration, the final words before the power was released.

His thumb touched the button upon Bane.

And a blade of bloody fire ran from the weapon, an extension of his wrath.

Bane's Fire.

The blade of the Sith. Named for the one who had preserved the Order—the first Dark Lord. A memory of the one who had formed the Sith that ruled today. This lightsaber had been hand-formed by Darth Bane himself. It would always pass to the master. Only once had the apprentice wielded it—and that had been to strike down his own master.

As he would now strike down his enemies.

Darth Sidious let the Dark Side rush through him, let it take him—then, he seized it, drew upon it, summoned the wrath to him completely. In an instant, it came, seizing him, coursing through his limbs, into his mind, around his face, into that well of darkness that was his heart.

He drew on it from every source. From the Senators he controlled…from the clones he ruled…from the Jedi before him. He felt their fear as he stood with this blade. It gave him life, made him stronger—their fear was a conduit for his rage.

And he used it.

Through the Dark Side, he could see the shrouds that had covered the Jedi for so long—they had never seen through the veil of the Dark Side, never looked to see its long, black threads, a web that reached out to touch all that it controlled and drew power from. He saw the fear of the power of the Dark Side—for they had learned to fear it, to avoid it, to beware of it. And that fear hovered around their heads like a dark cloud.

Sidious took that cloud and formed it into a net, a web of terror. And he drew it shut around the Jedi, freezing them, slowing them, making them hesitate…

And he attacked.


	3. Chapter 3: Revenge

Part Three—Revenge

The Dark Side screamed around Darth Sidious, a howl of a thousand demons, the ancient spirits of the Sith shrieking in challenge as he leaped in front of the Jedi.

What had been a long time for the Dark Side had been less than six heartbeats in reality; the Jedi were still raising their blades as Sidious leaped into them.

First to fall was Agen Kolar. Sidious drew his blade back; the Jedi, slowed by the Dark Side, gasped as Bane's Fire ran through his chest. It was a hollow gasp; one of surprise, of pain, of anguish—the death rattle that heralded the fall of the Jedi Order. Such an honor.

Sidious twisted, letting the blood-hued blade rip across Master Tin's body. A scream of pain, and a body falling to the floor, and the second Jedi was dead.

The Dark Side rippled in warning, and Sidious whirled, letting Bane block the blade of Master Windu. The Jedi Master had thrown the veil off, and was now attacking firmly. Kit Fisto struck in his turn, and Sidious blocked again. He pressed his attack, aggressive, unrelenting, drawing on the fear. The two Jedi worked against him, green and violet on crimson red, but he pushed them back. Shoving sideways, he sent Windu staggering for a moment—and turned his attention to Fisto.

The Jedi's terror surged as he found himself alone, and Sidious seized it, twisted it, threw the Jedi off-balance. A quick slash, and Fisto's head was separated from its body.

Windu's blade came down, and Darth Sidious only just blocked it.

Bane's Fire throbbed hungrily, its thirst for blood unquenched by the three Jedi it had consumed. The blade was an extension of the Dark Side—its will made fire. The Sith were in this blade—the Sith were all around.

Master Windu blocked a slash, came in with a series of his own. Darth Sidious fought, blocking them, then snarled and stabbed for Windu's heart, throwing the Dark Side into the Jedi's face.

The purple light turned Bane's Fire aside, locking with it, struggling with it.

Darth Sidious looked into Mace Windu's eyes.

They were like icy stone, glittering with a dull, unfeeling determination. There was no fear to draw on from this figure—he felt none.

Sidious felt something tremble within him.

There was no hatred, either—no anger to feed the flames. He did not want to kill this person, did not want to end his life—he wanted to win. That was all. He wanted to conquer—not to conquer to kill, to conquer to end. To end his threat, to end his destruction. There was no aggression, no seeking of vengeance—but a hard wall of fire that took the threads of the Dark Side and burned them to ash.

Rage built in Sidious, and he struck again and again, his blade moving in a frenzied whirlwind of flame, struggling to kill, to destroy this unwavering resolve.

But each attack failed. Spinning, snarling, slashing, the Dark Lord attempted every manner of killing he could. Still there was no success.

Then he was aware of the figure spinning, fighting one-handed, the other hand moving, manipulating the Force.

And Sidious saw the threads of the Dark Side tremble, saw them begin to snap, to fall, to turn back upon him.

_No_!

He pressed the attack more ferociously, kicked Windu, sent him off-balance. He lunged to finish him, but Windu had already recovered, and was returning to destroying the threads…

No, to proceeding along the threads…

Sidious growled and attacked again, locking blades…but the other one looked at him, gazing with that same cold resolve, the intent to conquer.

Bane's Fire flashed, shrieking in the office, struggling to overwhelm this fool, this Jedi, this…

Windu's blade slashed the enormous window, shattering it, sending shards of glass spilling out into the night. Sidious attacked, determined to hurl this Jedi through the gaping hole, into the abyss, to send him down forever…

But suddenly, the Master had begun his own attack, hacking, slashing…

And he saw the tendrils of the Dark Side nearest to him quiver.

_NO_!

But suddenly, he felt the fear within him boil to the surface, a scream of terror finally released. The fear of this unshakable fire…the fear of the dizzying drop…the fear of a miscalculation…the fear that the order of the Sith should fall with him…

Suddenly, Mace Windu kicked out with one foot, and it connected with Sidious in the chest. Bane's Fire left him, hissing out of existence as the weapon itself plunged into the void.

Sidious fell, twisting, crawling back along the inside of the window, seeking to escape this terrifying figure above him. He stared as the violet blade moved for his chest, and he froze at the corner of the window, looking at the purple flames before him.

It was _over_…?

But suddenly, another presence, a tremble in the Force…

He felt the young man enter the room…the Chosen One…

Anakin Skywalker had returned.


	4. Chapter 4: Reclaimed

"You are under arrest, _my lord_!"

The words caused Sidious to seethe with unbridled rage, but at the same time, terror. He had lost…he was on his back, his hands raised feebly, a lightsaber blade to his throat…

But Anakin Skywalker had come. Sidious swiftly took on the mantle of Palpatine once more.

"Anakin!" he cried desperately, forcing as much strain and panic into his voice as he could. As if he had any other way of saying anything…

"I told you it would come to this! I was right!" He gestured to the towering Jedi, speaking as fast as he could before Windu could silence him. "The Jedi are taking over!"

"The oppression of the Sith will never return!" Mace Windu bellowed down at him. Palpatine flinched…could he be speaking the truth?

"Your plot to regain control of the Republic is over!"

Was it? Would it end…his whole life…the centuries that the Sith had planned this…it was all to fail? No…

"You have _lost_!"

Palpatine shook his head this time, feeling the shame and fear inside of him turn to a mindless, savage rage.

"No…" he whispered, feeling Sidious rise again, feeling his anger tear through him. "No, NO! You will die!"

His hands had moved up, and he felt the Dark Side surging within them…

And Darth Sidious unleashed it.

Brilliant bolts of lightning cascaded from his fingers, slamming into the Jedi Master. Sidious felt the thrill of victory, but the Jedi was catching some of the bolts on his lightsaber…

And he began pushing forwards…

And the lightning, so powerful as it was, began arcing backwards from the blade…

Sidious screeched in pain as his own lightning struck his face, ripping into it…no, no! He would _not_ lose…he needed Anakin to come…

"He is a traitor, Anakin!" he howled.

"_He's_—the—traitor—ARRRGH!" Windu groaned as bolts struck him as well.

Sidious felt himself pressing harder, struggling to keep that blade back…the Jedi was pushing hard, and if he stopped the barrage…

He felt his face changing.

The Dark Side powers that he had been using to keep it in place, to hide from the Jedi the results of the energy consuming him, were failing. Under the barrage of his own lightning, without any support…the face of Palpatine was slowly vanishing…

It was melting, becoming the face of an old man, like an ancient corpse…

Bane's Bones, he would die if this kept up! He needed Anakin _now_…

"I am your pathway to power!" Sidious wailed. "I have the power to help save the one you love!"

Mace Windu pressed harder, but in the brilliant flashes of lightning, Sidious could not sense what he felt.

"You must _choose_!" he moaned, as his face withered even further. "You must—stop him!"

He was pleading now, but he had no choice—he was going to die!

"Don't listen to him, Anakin!" Windu growled, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"Help me!" Sidious pleaded, feeling his strength begin to ebb. "Don't let him kill me! I can't…hold on any longer!"

He forced the blade back, but the bolts were weakening….

"I…ahhhhhh…_ahhhhhh_…."

The bolts stopped, and Sidious felt his head fall to the wall. He was exhausted…the pain and energy exerted had completely drained him.

He moaned softly, feeling for Anakin with his mind…

"I can't…I give up! Help me!" He touched Anakin's mind…

And felt, suddenly, the storm of confusion within his mind. The confusion…the _fear_.

And nestled within that massive cloud of fear, he could sense the anger…but the confusion was surrounding it, holding it back…but if it was released…

It was a bottomless well for the Dark Side.

All he needed was to release it.

The boy's fear of loss was the key…

"I am weak!" he moaned. "I am…too weak! Don't kill me! I give up! I'm dying! I can't…hold on any longer…."

"You Sith disease!" Windu spat from above him, clearly sensing the surge of triumph from Sidious as he felt the barrier weaken. "I am going to _end_ this once and for all!"

Sidious felt his own fear fill him now…rushing in like a mist into a globe, filling it, expanding it…

"You can't."

There was a long pause, a tremor in the Force. Sidious looked over to Anakin, saw Windu do the same, slightly…but he met Anakin's eyes…

And, though Anakin did not meet his, he could see the anger…and the fear…and the barely contained _aggression_…

"He must stand trial!"

Almost! Sidious almost had him—he was in his grip…

"He has control of both the Senate and the Courts!" Windu bellowed. "He's too dangerous to be left alive!"

Sidious's fury was all but quenched by his terror. He sensed it from the Jedi…

He was going to kill him!

"I'm too weak! Don't kill me! Please!" he wailed thickly.

_Do it, now…now!_

"He must live!" Anakin screamed.

Windu raised his blade.

"Please, don't!" Sidious moaned. "Please, don't!"

_Now, fool, now! Stop talking…_

"I need him!"

_Was that it?_

"Please…" he whispered. "Don't…"

The violet blade began its descent.

_NOW, SKYWALKER!_

"NO!"

There was the hiss of a lightsaber blade, and as Sidious raised his hands in a vain attempt to block the blow, there was a flash of blue light…

And the purple blade flew away, out of the window, into the night.

An agonized, glorious scream rang out into the night.

Sidious felt the pain from the Master, saw his arm, severed at the elbow.

The anger, fear, and aggression surging from the Jedi, augmenting the Dark Side like ion fuel to fire…

And he felt the confusion from the Master…

And the fear.

And feeling that fear, Sidious felt his own vanish as if it had never existed.

Beneath it lay what had been hidden…the anger, the rage…

But from the Jedi, he felt…

"_POWER_!" Sidious screeched, throwing a hand out and letting the full force of the Dark Side leave his fingers.

They struck the Jedi Master, and this time he had no lightsaber to deflect the bolts. He had no way of stopping them, no way of turning them.

All he could do was scream.

Jedi Master Mace Windu screamed in agony as lightning bolts covered his body. He stood there, and Sidious felt the Jedi's life leaving him…he was using the Force to keep himself from falling, but Sidious pressed the attack harder! The Jedi would die! Skywalker was his!

The Sith were triumphant!

"_UNLIMITED_ _POWER_!"

And the Dark Side overwhelmed the Jedi.

Whether he died then or his Force strength simply gave out, Sidious did not know, nor did he care.

Mace Windu was thrown out of the window, sent to plummet, a blue-burning body, the hundreds of stories to the ground below.

The Sith had their revenge.


End file.
